1944 NSWRFL season
The 1944 NSWRFL season was the thirty-seventh season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership, Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, and Australia’s first. Eight teams from across the city contested the premiership during the season which culminated in Balmain’s victory over Newtown in the grand final.
Teams
- Balmain, formed on January 23, 1908, at Balmain Town Hall
- Canterbury-Bankstown
- Eastern Suburbs, formed on January 24, 1908, at Paddington Town Hall
- Newtown, formed on January 14, 1908
- North Sydney, formed on February 7, 1908
- South Sydney, formed on January 17, 1908, at Redfern Town Hall
- St. George, formed on November 8, 1920, at Kogarah School of Arts
- Western Suburbs, formed on February 4, 1908
| Balmain 37th season Ground: Leichhardt Oval Coach: Norm Robinson Captain: Arthur Patton | Canterbury-Bankstown 10th season Ground: Belmore Sports Ground Captain: Ron Bailey Coach: Ron Bailey→Cec Fifield | Eastern Suburbs 37th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Sid Pearce Captain: Harry Pierce | Newtown 37th season Ground: Henson Park Coach: Arthur Folwell Captain: Frank Farrell |
| North Sydney 37th season Ground: North Sydney Oval Captain-Coach: Frank Hyde | South Sydney 37th season Ground: Sydney Sports Ground Coach: Alf Blair Captain: Jack Walsh | St. George 24th season Ground: Hurstville Oval Coach: Bill Kelly Captain: Len Kelly | Western Suburbs 37th season Ground: Pratten Park Coach: Henry Bolewski Captain: Paddy Bugden |
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
| 1 | Newtown | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 379 | 220 | +159 | 22 |
| 2 | Balmain | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 402 | 171 | +231 | 21 |
| 3 | St. George | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 230 | 238 | -8 | 18 |
| 4 | South Sydney | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 193 | 287 | -94 | 15 |
| 5 | North Sydney | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 204 | 202 | +2 | 11 |
| 6 | Western Suburbs | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 180 | 246 | -66 | 10 |
| 7 | Eastern Suburbs | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 227 | 360 | -133 | 8 |
| 8 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 206 | 297 | -91 | 7 |
Finals
looked set for back-to-back titles after finishing as minor premiers. Both Newtown and Balmain won their respective semi-finals with the Bluebags blitzing St George by 55 points to 7, which was to remain the Dragons’ largest losing margin until 1994 and the largest margin in a finals match until 2019. However injuries and war duties then ravaged the side including the key losses of Len Smith and Herb Narvo who had starred for them all season. Balmain thus overcame Newtown 19–16 in the Final, enabling Newtown a “right of challenge”.Grand Final
Newtown exercised their “right of challenge” as minor premiers and called for a Grand Final. In a low scoring affair Balmain's representative centre Joe Jorgenson kicked two late penalty goals to give the Tigers a 12–8 win and their eighth title.Balmain 12
defeated
Newtown 8